Overview

Read the beloved classic that inspired the CBC miniseries! New York Times BestsellingcartoonistJeff Lemirepays tribute to his roots withEssex County, an award-winning trilogy of graphic novels set in an imaginary version of his hometown, the eccentric farming community of Essex County, Ontario, Canada. Where does a young boy turn when his whole world suddenly disappears? What turns two brothers from an unstoppable team into bitterly estranged loners? How does the simple-hearted care of one middle-aged nurse reveal the scars of an entire community, and can anything heal the wounds caused by a century of deception? Award-winning cartoonist Jeff Lemire pays tribute to his roots with Essex County, an award-winning trilogy of graphic novels set in an imaginary version of his hometown, the eccentric farming community of Essex County, Ontario, Canada. Here, Lemire crafts an intimate study of one community through the years, and a tender meditation on family, memory, grief, secrets, and reconciliation. With the lush, expressive inking of a young artist at the height of his powers, Lemire draws us in and sets us free. This new edition collects the complete, critically-acclaimed trilogy (Tales from the Farm, Ghost Stories, and The Country Nurse) in one deluxe volume! Also included are over 40-pages of previously unpublished material, including two new stories.

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9781603090384

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Reviews

Tom Writes: After spending the better part of a year in Canada, I was more than done with the great white north. But this bestselling, multi award winning graphic novel by Ontario native Jeff Lemire kept me up late into the night; I could not put it down until I was done! Finally collected in one volume this loosely interconnected story of the people living in Essex County over several generations is a poignant, if slightly bizarre drama. I found it to be as uplifting as it was heartbreaking, as all the best ones often are! What I found so remarkable was how rich the stories were in history and in character. Every choice they make, every word that is spoken is so authentic that it feels like a punch in the gut each time tragedy strikes. Others are simply prisoners in the sad, mundane lives they've made for themselves. This is a book about character, about how we choose to define ourselves in the face of both the overwhelming and the everyday adversity that comes our way. Lemire brilliantly contrasts this internal conflict with a story of survival in the Canadian wilderness that is the origin of Essex County. This in turn further enriches the modern day stories. As the chapters jump from character to character it is obvious how deliberate the choices made about point of view are. We see how they affect one another culminating in a heart warming scene between a young boy and the unequipped uncle who was left to raise him. The character designs themselves are cartoonish but the art itself is emotional in its minimalism, perfectly complementing the writing, the art conveys the subtleties of Lemire's script without becoming too realistic by photo-referencing (like so many modern graphic novels do). This is a genuinely literary piece of graphic fiction; Jeff Lemire is a true talent with an original voice and style that should not be ignored.

...Essex County delivers a collection of characters so genuine that by the end you'll swear they're real. --Complex, ranking Essex County as one of The 25 Comic Books You Need To Read Before You Die It is a wonderful, thought-provoking, lovingly-produced work of fiction. I'm still not sure that this review does the book justice. I honestly cannot recommend this book enough. --Pajiba Lemire's portraits of people are honest, and sad, and are full of broken dreams. All of these characters are living lives different than what they expected, and yet none of them really give up. And that is why a comic like this is so important - it is far more aspirational than a Batman story, even though no one in this book could do what Bruce Wayne does. But all of us can pick ourselves up, shake off the dust of disappointment, and try to live the best lives we can. --Multiversity Comics

.. .Essex County delivers a collection of characters so genuine that by the end you'll swear they're real. --Complex, ranking Essex County as one of The 25 Comic Books You Need To Read Before You Die It is a wonderful, thought-provoking, lovingly-produced work of fiction. I'm still not sure that this review does the book justice. I honestly cannot recommend this book enough. --Pajiba Lemire's portraits of people are honest, and sad, and are full of broken dreams. All of these characters are living lives different than what they expected, and yet none of them really give up. And that is why a comic like this is so important - it is far more aspirational than a Batman story, even though no one in this book could do what Bruce Wayne does. But all of us can pick ourselves up, shake off the dust of disappointment, and try to live the best lives we can. --Multiversity Comics

.. .Essex County delivers a collection of characters so genuine that by the end you'll swear they're real. --Complex, ranking Essex County as one of The 25 Comic Books You Need To Read Before You Die <p/> It is a wonderful, thought-provoking, lovingly-produced work of fiction. I'm still not sure that this review does the book justice. I honestly cannot recommend this book enough. --Pajiba <p/> Lemire's portraits of people are honest, and sad, and are full of broken dreams. All of these characters are living lives different than what they expected, and yet none of them really give up. And that is why a comic like this is so important - it is far more aspirational than a Batman story, even though no one in this book could do what Bruce Wayne does. But all of us can pick ourselves up, shake off the dust of disappointment, and try to live the best lives we can. --Multiversity Comics

...Essex County delivers a collection of characters so genuine that by the end you'll swear they're real. --Complex, ranking Essex County as one of The 25 Comic Books You Need To Read Before You Die It is a wonderful, thought-provoking, lovingly-produced work of fiction. I'm still not sure that this review does the book justice. I honestly cannot recommend this book enough. --Pajiba Lemire's portraits of people are honest, and sad, and are full of broken dreams. All of these characters are living lives different than what they expected, and yet none of them really give up. And that is why a comic like this is so important - it is far more aspirational than a Batman story, even though no one in this book could do what Bruce Wayne does. But all of us can pick ourselves up, shake off the dust of disappointment, and try to live the best lives we can. --Multiversity Comics

.. .Essex County delivers a collection of characters so genuine that by the end you'll swear they're real. --Complex, ranking Essex County as one of The 25 Comic Books You Need To Read Before You Die It is a wonderful, thought-provoking, lovingly-produced work of fiction. I'm still not sure that this review does the book justice. I honestly cannot recommend this book enough. --Pajiba Lemire's portraits of people are honest, and sad, and are full of broken dreams. All of these characters are living lives different than what they expected, and yet none of them really give up. And that is why a comic like this is so important - it is far more aspirational than a Batman story, even though no one in this book could do what Bruce Wayne does. But all of us can pick ourselves up, shake off the dust of disappointment, and try to live the best lives we can. --Multiversity Comics

Author Information

Jeff Lemire is a prolific, award-winning comic book writer and artist from Ontario, who's known for creating literary stories depicting the frailties, fears, and hopes of the human condition. He's worked extensively with all the major comic book publishers, penning well-received runs on Animal Man, Green Arrow, Hawkeye, and Old Man Logan for DC and Marvel. His creator-owned works, which are even more highly aclaimed, include The Underwater Welder,The Essex County Trilogy, and Lost Dogs from Top Shelf Productions; Descender, A.D. After Death (with Scott Snyder,) and Royal City, from Image; andSweet Tooth,Trillium, and The Nobody from Vertigo. His original graphic novel Roughneck was published by Simon and Schuster in 2017. Jeff won the Joe Shuster Award for Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Cartoonist in 2008 for Essex County, and again in 2013 for The Underwater Welder and Sweet Tooth. He's been a nominee for multiple Eisner awards, a Harvery Award, and the Ignatz Award. Descender and The Underwater Welder have both been optioned for major motion pictures. He lives in Toronto with his family.

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